Put on the dog: to
behave in an elegant or extravagant manner
In doing some research, I came across something that said “putting
on the dog” came from a colonial custom of making shoes or gloves out of dog
skin. However, it has also been
suggested as far back as 1865 that the newly rich displayed their wealth by
keeping pampered lapdogs. Wherever it
comes from, I think it is a dandy term, and I love to hear old people utter
this phrase. I’m going to find excuses
to use it in my own vocabulary.
Another cute phrase that means about the same thing is "Putting On The Ritz". You may remember the early 80's song by Taco, but it was done much earlier by the likes of Bing Crosby and others. I have included a link to a cute Youtube video. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BAZhHXsknd8"Putting On The Ritz" was used in the 1920's, and named from the fancy Ritz hotels.
